


It Goes On

by CPFics



Series: The Muskequeers [9]
Category: The Musketeers (2014)
Genre: Agender Character, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Being Lost, Couch Cuddles, Fluff, Genderfluid Character, Multi, Sharing a Bed
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-07-27
Updated: 2014-10-31
Packaged: 2018-02-10 16:46:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 2,058
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2032389
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CPFics/pseuds/CPFics
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: it goes on." -Robert Frost</p><p>A series of short (less than 500 words) one-shots about the Musketeers.</p><p>Rating may change, tags will be added as necessary, warnings in chapter notes where applicable.</p><p>Chapter 1: Aramis and Porthos go out clubbing, Athos stays at home.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Clubbing

“We won’t stay out too late,” said Porthos, knowing that, although Aramis was by far the quickest of them all to get touch-starved, his and Aramis’ presence meant an awful lot to Athos. He leaned over the back of the sofa and caught Athos’ lips in a kiss. Athos smiled against his mouth as Aramis dropped another kiss onto their head.

“Have fun, both of you,” they said, turning back to their book - a huge, old novel which had nowhere near enough paragraph breaks, in Aramis’ opinion. Athos listened as Aramis’ delicate heels and Porthos’ heavy footsteps withdrew down the hall and the door closed behind them and sighed, curling more tightly in on themself as they turned the page.

\--

Porthos and Aramis tumbled back in through the door several hours later, their hands tangled in each others clothes, and Porthos pushed Aramis back against the wall, easing his knee between nir thighs. Aramis gave a low moan, pushing nir hips against Porthos.

“Athos,” ne said, pulling back a little, and Porthos nodded. The lights were still on, and if their third was still awake, they wouldn’t want to carry on without them.

When they found Athos, though, they were fast asleep on the sofa, their book still in their hands, clearly having waited up for Porthos and Aramis to return - or tried to. There was an empty beer bottle on the coffee table, but to be fair to them, Porthos thought, he and Aramis had probably drunk at least as much. He sighed.

“We should put them to bed before they get a stiff neck,” he said. Aramis sighed too.

“We should. You take them, I’ll lock up.”

Porthos nodded and gathered Athos into his arms. They stirred slightly with a quiet moan, nuzzling their face against Porthos’ collarbone as he carried them up the stairs.

“P’thos?” they mumbled as he reached the landing.

“Hey, sleepyhead,” he said, pressing a kiss to their temple. They raised their head a little to look around.

“Whe’s Ar’mis?”

“Ne’s just locking up, ne’ll be here in a minute. Let’s get you into bed, yeah?”

Athos hummed quietly in agreement and dropped their head back onto Porthos’ shoulder. They sat perfectly still as Porthos undressed them and pushed them back onto the bed, before stripping himself. 

Aramis returned just as he was climbing in behind Athos. Ne set a glass of water on the nightstand, pulled off nir clothes and slid in beside them. Ne drew Athos close against nir chest, their head tucked under nir chin, and wrapped nir arms around them, catching Porthos’ fingers between nir own.

Athos had slipped back into sleep within seconds and, exchanging a few quiet kisses, Aramis and Porthos followed not long after.


	2. Lost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Athos tries to show Aramis, Porthos and d'Artagnan where they used to go with Thomas when they were children.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warning: swearing

"Admit it, Athos, we're lost," said d'Artagnan when they eventually reached a bench he could flop dramatically down onto. Porthos dropped down next to him with a sigh and threw an arm around his shoulders.

"Fuck this, I need a piss," said Aramis, picking nir way through the undergrowth next to the path, trying to keep the nettles and brambles away from nir bare calves. "If I get stung..."

"We're nearly there, I promise," Athos said. "If you're that worried about your legs, you could always wait til we get there and there are proper toilets."

"You said that forty-five minutes ago, Athos! I can only hold it so long."

Athos turned back to the map and compass in their hands, frowning.

"I'm sure it's around here somewhere."

"Why don't we just eat here and then head back? It's as good a place as any, and I'm starving," said Porthos, reaching into his bag, pulling out a pork pie and tucking in.

"Porthos!" Athos admonished. "There'll be none left for when we get there if you keep helping yourself!"

" _If_ we ever get there," said d'Artagnan, leaning more heavily against Porthos' side.

Athos dropped their hands to their sides, their mouth turned down in disappointment, as Aramis emerged from back onto the path and got Porthos to pour water over nir hands.

“I just wanted to show you where I used to come with Thomas when we were children,” Athos said, and they sounded so upset that the other three found their frustration had completely disappeared. Aramis threw nir arm around their shoulders and pulled them close, pressed a kiss against their forehead.

“We’ll look for a little while longer, but we’ll have to head back if we haven’t found it by the time it starts getting dark,” ne said, and Athos nodded. Porthos and d’Artagnan stood up and shouldered their bags. “Here, let me see the map.”

\--

They finally arrived around half an hour later, emerging from a woodland path to see the lake spread out before them, the water glowing orange in the late evening light. On the far side they could make out the rows of wooden huts for hire, where they planned to spend the night. Porthos whooped, and he and Aramis dropped their bags and ran into the water, throwing their shirts aside on the shoreline.

d’Artagnan took Athos’ hand, and leaned over to kiss their cheek. Athos turned to him, smiling.

“I told you we were nearly there,” they said.


	3. Date Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aramis has a date, so Porthos and Athos spend some quality time together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a soft spot for cuddly Athos. Even more so than cuddly Aramis, because /obviously/ Aramis is cuddly, but now Athos has people they can trust, they have a whole lifetime of touch-depravation to make up for.

“No thanks, I’ve got a date tonight,” Aramis said as ne walked into the kitchen and Porthos offered to serve nem a plate of food.

“You kept that quiet,” he said.

“Yes, well, we’ve only just organised it, so I only just found out myself,” ne said. “It’s not a problem, is it?”

Porthos and Athos both shook their heads.

“Who are you seeing?” Athos asked.

“Her name’s Adele, we met in the club the other night. Hold this for a minute, would you?” Ne passed a hand-mirror to Athos, who held it up for nem while they finished their dinner with one hand. Aramis sat down opposite them and began putting on nir make-up. At last ne stood up, double-checking the contents of nir handbag.

“Don’t wait up,” ne said with a grin, leaving lipstick kisses on Athos’ and Porthos’ foreheads, and then ne was gone, the door closing with a thud behind nem.

Porthos, having finished his meal, put his plate in the sink and threw himself down onto the sofa in the living room. He turned on the TV and flicked through the guide.

Athos joined him just as he sighed and turned the TV off again, deciding there was nothing on worth watching. They settled themself in his lap, curled up against his chest.

“What do you want to do this evening, then?” Porthos asked, wrapping his arms around them and holding them close. “While Aramis is off getting nir daily dose of attention elsewhere?”

“Hmm, this,” sighed Athos, turning their face into Porthos’ shoulder. Porthos chuckled, pressed a kiss into their hair, settled back into the cushions and held them more tightly.

Athos was glad to have some time alone with Porthos, without the buzz of energy that seemed to emanate from Aramis whenever ne was around, even when ne was at nir quietest. It wasn’t that Athos minded at all - they loved Aramis just as much as they loved Porthos - but a late evening tranquility had settled over the house that Athos wanted to make the most of, and it was nice, every now and then, to have the full force of Porthos’ steady, unwavering attention focused on them.


	4. Sleep At Last

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Porthos gets back from his trip, to Aramis' delight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I needed to write some fluff and grumpycathos is ill so this is for her especially <3
> 
> This is sort of a sequel to [Can't Sleep Without You](http://archiveofourown.org/works/2091072), but it works on its own as well.

Athos was leaning against a pillar at the train station, and Aramis was leaning against them, nir face buried in their jumper. It was half eight in the morning, earlier than Aramis usually woke up in any case, but ne hadn’t been sleeping well lately. It was grey, and chilly. A light mist curling over the ground made the far ends of the platform hard to make out. The tannoy voice cut through the sleepy morning air, almost enough to make Athos jump.

“ _The train now approaching platform three is the eight twenty-seven to Birmingham New Street._ ”

“This is Porthos’ train,” said Athos, but Aramis had already looked up in excitement to watch the train pull in. It squealed to a halt alongside the platform and the platform sprung to life, travellers criss-crossing this way and that to get to the clearest doors and the least crowded carriages. Aramis’ eyes darted along the length of the train as the doors opened. Ne had one hand gripping Athos’ shirt to the point where it was almost uncomfortable.

Porthos wasn’t hard to spot. As usual, he towered over everyone around him as he climbed out of the train, his eyes catching Aramis’ almost immediately. Aramis started forwards, dragging Athos’ with him, and weaved nir way through the crowd with growing impatience.

“Sorry! Sorry,” Athos called behind them as Aramis steered them through gaps between commuters that apparently only ne could see and they narrowly avoided tripping over a wheeled suitcase.

All of a sudden, Aramis released Athos’ shirt and dove into Porthos’ arms. He caught them with a chuckle, and ne locked nir arms and legs around him.

“Didn’t I tell you it’d all be alright?” he said, ruffling Aramis’ hair and kissing nir shoulder, but Aramis didn’t answer, just hugged nemself tighter to him.

Athos approached more sedately, reaching past Aramis’ shoulder to kiss Porthos deeply on the lips. When they broke apart, Porthos pressed a gentle kiss to their forehead as well.

“Missed you,” they sighed.

“Me too,” Porthos said, before leaning back to talk to Aramis on his shoulder: “You gunna get down, then, so we can head home? Aramis?”

When there was no reply he turned further, turning Aramis’ head slightly so he could see nir face. Then he huffed a laugh, dropping another kiss on Aramis’ shoulder.

“I don’t believe it,” he said, turning back to Athos. “The bastard’s gone and fallen asleep!”


	5. Halloween

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Halloween is Aramis' favourite day of the year.

Athos and Aramis were both woken suddenly by the bed jolting. Porthos opened his eyes first. He screamed.

Athos’ body leapt into action before they were even fully conscious, and they scrambled towards Porthos and away from the weight that had just landed near their legs. They clung to Porthos’ arm with all their strength. When their eyes and brain finally connected, they could only make out a pair of glowing eyes and fangs, the faint outline of a skeletal face, in the pre-dawn darkness. The fangs were bared in laughter. Very _familiar_ laughter.

“Aramis, you tosser!” cried Porthos, obviously having got his brain in gear faster than Athos. He threw a pillow, which hit Aramis square in the face.

“Happy Halloweeeeeennn!” crooned Aramis, bouncing up and down and making Athos’ head spin.

“Christ, Aramis, sit still for a minute would you? What time is it?” they asked, finally releasing their grip on Porthos.

“About 4am,” Porthos read off the bedside clock. Athos fell against him with a groan, and he reflexively wrapped an arm round them. Aramis, for nir part, did at least look regretful.

“I’m sorry, I was just having a laugh,” ne said. Then added hopefully: “I brought candy?”

“Fine,” Athos sighed. “Turn the light on.”

Aramis flashed them one last glow-in-the-dark smile before ne jumped up to switch the light on and spat out nir fake fangs. Ne pulled a bucket of sweets up from the floor and tipped it out onto the bed, grabbed a handful, and curled up in Athos’ lap, smearing facepaint over their chest. Athos grimaced.

“You’ve got paint all over my pillow as well, you arse,” said Porthos, retrieving his pillow from the end of the bed, but there was no real anger in his voice.

“Can we watch scary movies all day? And carve pumpkins? And dress up and go trick-or-treating?” Aramis asked around a mouthful of gummy worms.

“No one’s going to give sweets to a group of three grown adults,” said Porthos, reaching for a Mars bar. “And if you watch scary movies all day you’ll be having nightmares for weeks.”

“That’s fine, I have you to save me from all the monsters,” ne said, looking up at Porthos with wide, pleading eyes.

Porthos looked to Athos, who hesitated for only a moment before giving a one-shoulder shrug.

“Alright,” said Porthos at last, and Aramis grinned. “But if you keep us awake with your overactive imagination, you can sleep on the couch.”


End file.
